The task of clearing the prisons of foreign criminals has long been a thorn in
the side of any Government and has certainly come back to haunt the
Conservatives as they return to power.

Around 11,000 offenders behind bars are from overseas, the equivalent of one in 12 of the prison population, so cutting down on that number would both free up a substantial amount of space and save the taxpayers millions of pounds a year.

The fact that they have abused the hospitality of the UK by committing crimes here also makes it a highly charged issue for the public.

But even removing foreign killers and rapists who no longer have any right to remain in the country is not as easy as it looks and many will fight deportation, often using human rights laws, to drag their stay here out for as long as possible.

Hence, the last Government hit upon offering them an incentive package - or bribe - that basically said 'we'll support you if you go home and do not resist removal'.

It argued that spending a few thousand pounds is much cheaper than the estimated £11,000 it costs to enforce a removal.

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The draw back, of course, is however it is presented it will always be seen as paying criminals to do something they should be doing in any event - leaving the country.

Senior Tories attacked the programme when in opposition but, now in power, they have no doubt been made aware by officials of how difficult it is to remove even criminals.

The overall value of the bribe may have been cut but the offenders are now being handed three times as much cash to spend on pretty much anything they like so long as they argue it is helping their resettlement.

A similar scheme for failed asylum seekers saw one person open up an ostrich farm.

And what is to stop a foreign criminal spending the cash and then trying to sneak back in to the UK once again? After all, they are criminals.